Bike: 1hr15mins - aerobic workout
- avg power: 250 watts
- avg speed: 34.9km/h
- distance: 43km
- heart rate: 144bpm - 157bpm
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Last Day
Well today is my last day here at my current employer in Halifax.
"I am NOT a quitter."
"When people tell me I can't do something very well (or at all), I set out to prove them wrong. Doesn't matter if I enjoy what it is I am doing or not."
"I don't like to make mistakes."
"I have difficulty accepting certain things that are out of my control."
"I don't have to be the best, but I need to BE one of the best."
Shortly after Ironman Lake Placid, I woke-up one day and realized that I cannot continue down this path of obsessive behaviour. It literally hit me like a ton of bricks. Imagine going to bed one night as thinking all is well with the world and then waking up the next day to realize the life you were living was someone else's!?!
OK, it is not quite that dramatic in my case, but it still very impactful nonetheless. I realized that I needed a change...correction, I knew for sometime I needed a change but up until this point I pushed it aside. I found ways to cope and/or deal with the situation. I am not a quitter...it is me who must change to adapt to the situation.
No more.
It was really hard to admit I needed to change (on many levels), but in the end I did it. And as difficult as this whole situation has been for me to deal with, it still has been a terrific learning experience.
Anyways, I do appreciate the opportunities provided by my current/former company and will miss working with my talented (and fun) co-workers.
As fellow Blogger/Trigeek Julie recently said:
"Let the next chapter begin!!!!!!!"
"I am NOT a quitter."
"When people tell me I can't do something very well (or at all), I set out to prove them wrong. Doesn't matter if I enjoy what it is I am doing or not."
"I don't like to make mistakes."
"I have difficulty accepting certain things that are out of my control."
"I don't have to be the best, but I need to BE one of the best."
Shortly after Ironman Lake Placid, I woke-up one day and realized that I cannot continue down this path of obsessive behaviour. It literally hit me like a ton of bricks. Imagine going to bed one night as thinking all is well with the world and then waking up the next day to realize the life you were living was someone else's!?!
OK, it is not quite that dramatic in my case, but it still very impactful nonetheless. I realized that I needed a change...correction, I knew for sometime I needed a change but up until this point I pushed it aside. I found ways to cope and/or deal with the situation. I am not a quitter...it is me who must change to adapt to the situation.
No more.
It was really hard to admit I needed to change (on many levels), but in the end I did it. And as difficult as this whole situation has been for me to deal with, it still has been a terrific learning experience.
Anyways, I do appreciate the opportunities provided by my current/former company and will miss working with my talented (and fun) co-workers.
As fellow Blogger/Trigeek Julie recently said:
"Let the next chapter begin!!!!!!!"
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Last night when I got home from work I was toast. Thankfully, Mel made supper and we both ate before bundling up and taking Jessie out for her walk. We were gone about an hour ,so it was close to 8pm before we got home. I could have easily plunked down on the couch and watched TV but instead got dressed and hit the trainer for workout.
My motivation as of late is coming from a few areas:
1.) Being consistent with off-season training and laying down a solid foundation to build off of.
2.) Start dropping some of the 18 pounds I've put on since Ironman - LOL, I think this has been a new record for me.
To be honest, a lot of that weight has come from stress eating. I never thought of myself as a stress eater until the past few monthes. Anyways, the major bulk of the stress is behind me (for now) so things are falling back into place: I'm able to sleep better, turning less towards food as a crutch of comfort, able to focus, are getting back into a training routine, and are finally able to start thinking/planning a few races for next year.
So...back to last nights bike workout...
72 minute workout:
- 8 minutes of warmup including some 30 second spin ups
- 60 minutes with heart rate pegged in the aerobic zone (148bpm - 158bpm)
- 4 minutes cool down
* 10 minutes of stretching
The 60 minute block was an aerobic workout which included no recovery. Goal of the workout is to burn, burn, burn by staying aerobic with no recovery. To mix it up, I varied gears, cadence, and stood up once in a while.
It is a tough workout b/c you can easily go out too hard initially and fade by the 45 minute mark. But what you want to do is to stay within your aerobic zone for the entire workout.
My motivation as of late is coming from a few areas:
1.) Being consistent with off-season training and laying down a solid foundation to build off of.
2.) Start dropping some of the 18 pounds I've put on since Ironman - LOL, I think this has been a new record for me.
To be honest, a lot of that weight has come from stress eating. I never thought of myself as a stress eater until the past few monthes. Anyways, the major bulk of the stress is behind me (for now) so things are falling back into place: I'm able to sleep better, turning less towards food as a crutch of comfort, able to focus, are getting back into a training routine, and are finally able to start thinking/planning a few races for next year.
So...back to last nights bike workout...
72 minute workout:
- 8 minutes of warmup including some 30 second spin ups
- 60 minutes with heart rate pegged in the aerobic zone (148bpm - 158bpm)
- 4 minutes cool down
* 10 minutes of stretching
The 60 minute block was an aerobic workout which included no recovery. Goal of the workout is to burn, burn, burn by staying aerobic with no recovery. To mix it up, I varied gears, cadence, and stood up once in a while.
It is a tough workout b/c you can easily go out too hard initially and fade by the 45 minute mark. But what you want to do is to stay within your aerobic zone for the entire workout.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Weekend in review
Mel, Jessie, and I had a great weekend together - which included many Tim Ho beverages, and laughs. Despite the weather outside, we were able to keep busy putting around the house, working out, and watching a ton of DVR'd shows we taped earlier in the week.
Saturday I rode for an hour and 40 minutes on the trainer. 20 minute warmup which included one-legged drills and some spin ups. From there I rode 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off.
10 minutes on I was averaging 255-264 watts, 85 - 89 cadence, 138-143bpm in big chain ring with the 15 on back.
10 minutes off I was in small chain ring on front, and 15 in back maintaining a 90+ cadence.
Terrific workout overall and I was able to finish strong.
Sunday I was up early for a 1500m swim:
350m w/u
2x
- 50m side glide
- 50m one-arm (switch arms at 25m)
- 50m finger tip drag
- 50m closed fist
2x 100m with paddles
500m aerobic
50m c/d
Later in the day I taped my knee and ran for 45minutes on the treadmill. No issues so I'll try running 3x this week. After the run I hit the gym for a leg workout and was officially cooked by the end of it.
Saturday I rode for an hour and 40 minutes on the trainer. 20 minute warmup which included one-legged drills and some spin ups. From there I rode 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off.
10 minutes on I was averaging 255-264 watts, 85 - 89 cadence, 138-143bpm in big chain ring with the 15 on back.
10 minutes off I was in small chain ring on front, and 15 in back maintaining a 90+ cadence.
Terrific workout overall and I was able to finish strong.
Sunday I was up early for a 1500m swim:
350m w/u
2x
- 50m side glide
- 50m one-arm (switch arms at 25m)
- 50m finger tip drag
- 50m closed fist
2x 100m with paddles
500m aerobic
50m c/d
Later in the day I taped my knee and ran for 45minutes on the treadmill. No issues so I'll try running 3x this week. After the run I hit the gym for a leg workout and was officially cooked by the end of it.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Moving along...
The nights are definitely getting chillier with each passing week. Immediately after our nightly walk with Jessie, I got a nice hot bath in our jetted tub. It was good to get warm again while at the same time getting some heat on my hip/glute muscles. I recently discovered some new exercises to recruit those deep muscles and have been sore for the past several days.
I am still only running once a week for about 35 - 40 minutes. The inflammation under the knee seems to be under control which is a good sign. I am going to add another run this week and see how it feels. Biking is going well and swimming is coming along. Everything is nice, easy, and aerobic. I started incorporating some medium speed work in my last swim practice. Biking/Running will remain aerobic and technique focused for the next several months.
The last two days have been a write-off in terms of workouts due to work comittments and a sick dog. I plan on hitting the sack early this evening and getting up for a swim tomorrow morning with a run during lunch.
Tomorrow evening I am heading out for dinner/drinks with some co-workers...should be fun.
I am still only running once a week for about 35 - 40 minutes. The inflammation under the knee seems to be under control which is a good sign. I am going to add another run this week and see how it feels. Biking is going well and swimming is coming along. Everything is nice, easy, and aerobic. I started incorporating some medium speed work in my last swim practice. Biking/Running will remain aerobic and technique focused for the next several months.
The last two days have been a write-off in terms of workouts due to work comittments and a sick dog. I plan on hitting the sack early this evening and getting up for a swim tomorrow morning with a run during lunch.
Tomorrow evening I am heading out for dinner/drinks with some co-workers...should be fun.
Friday, November 7, 2008
So, back to the cupcakes
I realized last night, as I was re-reading my latest blog entry, that I didn't extrapolate on the whole cupcake\ title. Well, yesterday for lunch Mel and got together (she works in the building next to mine in downtown Halifax) and decided to visit a doggy boutique. Afterwards we were walking around Dresden Row and discovered this little shop called Susie's Shortbreads.
Inside the entire shop is pink...and lots of it. There is a huge counter with all kinds of cupcakes, fudge, and short bread cookies. We bought half-a-dozen cupcakes which came in this neat little cupcake box. Both of us were tickled pink.
On our drive home, we picked up a hot beverage from Timmy Ho's and treated ourselves to a couple of them! Admittedly, we both felt sick shortly afterwards from a our little pig fest...good times.
Later in the evening we took Jessie out for a her daily walk before we both did our own workouts. Mel hopped on the treadmill and I was beside her on the bike/trainer.
My 60 minute workout was as follows:
- 15 minutes of spinning
- 5 minutes of drills (one legged, spin-ups)
- 10 minutes holding 285 - 296watts, 38.1km/h - 40.3km/h, 148bpm - 151bpm
- 10 minutes recovery, maintaining 90 cadence
- 10 minutes holding 291 - 301watts, 39.4km/h - 40.3km/h, 148bpm - 151bpm
- 10 minute cool down.
I am happy with my numbers - I recall last year trying to hold similar efforts but feeling it was a lot harder. Next week I am confident I can hold over 300 watts for my 20 minute time trial and not blow up.
Tonights plan is to do another 60 minutes on the bike. Saturday: 90min ride followed by weights, Sunday: swim, upper weights, and 45 minute treadmill run.
Happy Friday!
Inside the entire shop is pink...and lots of it. There is a huge counter with all kinds of cupcakes, fudge, and short bread cookies. We bought half-a-dozen cupcakes which came in this neat little cupcake box. Both of us were tickled pink.
On our drive home, we picked up a hot beverage from Timmy Ho's and treated ourselves to a couple of them! Admittedly, we both felt sick shortly afterwards from a our little pig fest...good times.
Later in the evening we took Jessie out for a her daily walk before we both did our own workouts. Mel hopped on the treadmill and I was beside her on the bike/trainer.
My 60 minute workout was as follows:
- 15 minutes of spinning
- 5 minutes of drills (one legged, spin-ups)
- 10 minutes holding 285 - 296watts, 38.1km/h - 40.3km/h, 148bpm - 151bpm
- 10 minutes recovery, maintaining 90 cadence
- 10 minutes holding 291 - 301watts, 39.4km/h - 40.3km/h, 148bpm - 151bpm
- 10 minute cool down.
I am happy with my numbers - I recall last year trying to hold similar efforts but feeling it was a lot harder. Next week I am confident I can hold over 300 watts for my 20 minute time trial and not blow up.
Tonights plan is to do another 60 minutes on the bike. Saturday: 90min ride followed by weights, Sunday: swim, upper weights, and 45 minute treadmill run.
Happy Friday!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Cupcakes
On Tuesday I met up with K-Bes to run during our lunch break. Taped the knee again and was able to get in a 40 minutes before the sorness starting to act up. I am up from 30 minutes last week. Took some ibuprofen afterwards to settle down the inflamation. Still doing my quad strenghtening exercises/stretches everyday.
Tuesday night I was at pilates class - thankfully nothing "slipped" out during class. We did a few new moves which I really struggled with. One being where you lie flat on your stomach with your hands under your chin. You turn your knees outward by turning your legs in their hip sockets. Suck in your stomach to engage, squeeze the glutes, and then try to lift your legs (from the thighs down to your feet) off the ground.
The first time I attempted this I felt a HUGE charlie horse in my left butt cheek. Not a bad one, a good one if it makes sense. I could tell that side of my body was really struggling to accomplish the task. It was at the moment I wondered if my knee tracking problem isn't b/c of a tight IT band or weak quad. What if my left arse muscle is the culprit??? Anyways, I am looking into it...more to follow later.
Wednesday I was up early for a swim:
300m w/u
2x
- 50m slide glide
- 50m one arm (switch arm after 25m)
- 50m finger tip drag
- 50m closed fist
2x 100m with paddles
300m c/d
Swimming is going well but I am looking forward to picking up some swimming buddies next month. Actually, I am looking forward at reconnecting with some old and new friends this training season. I can honestly say I am a little worn out of this solo training I've been doing for the majority of the past couple of years.
Wednesday night I dragged my sorry/lazy butt onto the bike for a 45 minute recovery spin.
Tonights plan is to hit the trainer again for another bike workout. Next Thursday I plan on doing a 20 minute time trail. Record the data and plug it into some TraingPeaks stuff I recently discovered. My goal is to train smarter with Power and also identify any weakness I currently have with my cycling.
Cheers!
Tuesday night I was at pilates class - thankfully nothing "slipped" out during class. We did a few new moves which I really struggled with. One being where you lie flat on your stomach with your hands under your chin. You turn your knees outward by turning your legs in their hip sockets. Suck in your stomach to engage, squeeze the glutes, and then try to lift your legs (from the thighs down to your feet) off the ground.
The first time I attempted this I felt a HUGE charlie horse in my left butt cheek. Not a bad one, a good one if it makes sense. I could tell that side of my body was really struggling to accomplish the task. It was at the moment I wondered if my knee tracking problem isn't b/c of a tight IT band or weak quad. What if my left arse muscle is the culprit??? Anyways, I am looking into it...more to follow later.
Wednesday I was up early for a swim:
300m w/u
2x
- 50m slide glide
- 50m one arm (switch arm after 25m)
- 50m finger tip drag
- 50m closed fist
2x 100m with paddles
300m c/d
Swimming is going well but I am looking forward to picking up some swimming buddies next month. Actually, I am looking forward at reconnecting with some old and new friends this training season. I can honestly say I am a little worn out of this solo training I've been doing for the majority of the past couple of years.
Wednesday night I dragged my sorry/lazy butt onto the bike for a 45 minute recovery spin.
Tonights plan is to hit the trainer again for another bike workout. Next Thursday I plan on doing a 20 minute time trail. Record the data and plug it into some TraingPeaks stuff I recently discovered. My goal is to train smarter with Power and also identify any weakness I currently have with my cycling.
Cheers!
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